Archive for the ‘Word of the Week’ Category

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Howdy, Word Lovers! The last WOW was somnolent. Somnolent means: sleepy or drowsy, so I was on the right track for this one! Wonders never cease.

This week’s WOW is uxorial. Here are my definition guesses for it:

uxorial (əkˈsôrēəl) 1. useful 2. janitorial services performed in a less than perfect tuxedo 3. some definition guess that will come to me in my sleep tonight

Greetings, Word Lovers! The last WOW was semelparous. According to Merriam-Webster online, semelparous means reproducing or breeding only once in a lifetime. If you know the hubby, then you’re probably wondering why I didn’t know this word. If he knew it, I don’t recall him telling me what it meant, either. However, as bad as my memory is getting, he probably did!

This week’s WOW is somnolent. Here are my guesses for somnolent:

somnolent: (ˈsäm-nə-lənt) 1. able to sleep 2. sleepy 3. the state of becoming violent when you don’t have Xanax at night

Last week’s WOW was phreaker. No one seemed to have a guess for this one and honestly, that’s a relief to me. I was starting to think my vocabulary was quite limited since many have known the recent Words of the Week! Don’t get me wrong–I thoroughly enjoy it whenever you comment and do know it–it’s just a relief that occasionally we are both learning a new word!

Good morning, Word Fans! Last week’s WOW was nescience. The Merriam-Webster definition for nescience is: lack of knowledge or awareness or ignorance. No one guessed the meaning to this work so I guess we’re all showing our nescience about nescience????

Today’s WOW is phreaker. Here are my definition guesses for phreaker:

phreaker (ˈfrē-kər) 1. a streaker carrying a phone 2. one who freaks about philosophy 3. a speaker who only speaks in phrases (In other words, a poet.)

What is your guess for phreaker? Comment below and let’s see who came closest.

Welcome back, Word Lovers! Last week’s WOW (Word of the Week) was flocculate. Merriam-Webster Online says that flocculate is to cause to aggregate into a flocculent mass. Don’t you just love it when the dictionary does this to us–gives us a definition using another form of the very same word we didn’t know in the first place?! So, if you didn’t click on flocculent up above, here’s the definition for flocculent: resembling wool especially in loose fluffy organization or containing, consisting of, or occurring in the form of loosely aggregated particles or soft flakes.

The DD simplified the definition by saying it meant to clump together. I think I like her definition better, but do I get a tiny bit of credit for referring to a flock, since flocculent mentions wool??? Okay. Fine. Be that way.

This week’s WOW is jocose. Here are my guesses for jocose:

jocose (jō-ˈkōs) 1. what people from other countries say when trying to pronounce “so close” in English 2. what my grandson will say when trying to pronounce “so close” in about a year 3. jokingly verbose

What are your definition guesses? Submit a comment below to let me know!

Good morning, Word Lovers! Last week’s WOW was veld. According to Merriam-Webster Online, veld means a grassland especially of southern Africa usually with scattered shrubs or trees. The father-in-law was in “the vicinity” with his guess, but I don’t think any of us would have guessed that this term is specific to a particular geographic area.

This week’s WOW is flocculate. Here are my guesses for flocculate:

flocculate (ˈflä-kyə-ˌlāt) 1. the act of birds flocking together. 2. spraying probable ozone-depleting carcinogens on a Texan Christmas tree in an effort to keep all the needles from falling off the week before Christmas 3. speculating about who will get a birdie on the golf course next 4. a word one should say very, very carefully

The father-in-law gets darn close on this one–honestly, he should win this one because he stated that it’s about talking at great length with a lot of hot air and that’s probably the connotation of this word in every day use. I hear Bill O’Reilly is a bloviator. Not sure I’m wild about being lumped in there with Mr. O’Reilly, but I suppose there are lots of ways to be verbose!

This week’s WOW is veld. Here are my guesses for its definition; I feel like I should know this one, but I’m not completely certain of its definition:

Yes, yes, yes, I know…I’m late with this post. But here’s the good news–I’ve written the rough draft of 53 pages of my book. At least I think that’s good news.

Last week’s WOW was agon. Merriam-Webster says that agon means the dramatic conflict between the chief characters in a literary work. The DD was right on target with her guess that it had to do with fighting!

Last week’s WOW was blench. Merriam Webster Online says that blench means: to draw back or turn aside from lack of courage or to flinch. Ummm….this begs the question: Why not just use the word flinch??? It’s the same number of letters. In fact, with the exception of two letters, it’s the same friggin’ word! Clearly, MaryAnn is not a part of the word wizarding team at Merriam-Webster when they’re deciding what words to label “archaic” in their dictionary. I suppose now that most of us look up the words online anyway, deleting out-of-use words from the dictionary is not a particularly cost-saving venture anymore. But, still!

This week’s WOW is agon. Why do I have this weird feeling all my favorite MIP readers are going to know this one??? Heck, I feel like I should know it, too, so here are my guesses (both serious and not so serious) for agon:

agon (ˈä-ˌgän) 1. the condition or state of someone or something being gone 2. how a Southerner refers to processing cheese and/or wine 3. all gone 4. argon gas once it has started dissipating (Think about it–it will hit you later.)